There are times I really amaze myself and this is just one of them. Earlier this month I predicted Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison was not going to resign from the Senate. I was right.

A week after my post Sen. Hutchison formerly announced she was not resigning her Senate seat.

“I realize this will keep me in the Senate past the primary election,” Hutchison’s speech says. “These issues are too important to leave the fight to a newly appointed freshman senator who will be selected in the midst of a political storm.”

The decision came amid alarm among top Hutchison supporters about the direction of the campaign. As predicted, she did not help herself by shifting back and forth on when she will resign, especially with political figures down the line who are waiting to run for vacancies that would be created by her resignation. The Dallas Morning News’ Wayne Slater reported supporters inside the Hutchison camp were worried “answers about when she might resign made her look indecisive.”

Hutchison along with some of her advisers informed Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Attorney General Greg Abbott to file for re-election, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Not surprisingly, Sen. John Cornyn was pleased Hutchison wasn’t setting down. Sen. Cornyn said Hutchison was “putting Texas first” by staying through March to fight “the Democrats’ out-of-control spending spree and government-run health care proposals.”

The announcement came on the same day as a new Rasmussen Reports poll showing Perry is leading Hutchison 46% to 35%. This is a turn around from an earlier Rasmussen Reports poll showing Hutchison in the lead.

Did I call it or what? Just call me the Oracle of Delphi. I am not bragging, I’m sharing.

War of words: Perry Pulls Another Rove
Within hours of Hutchison’s announcement, Perry began sowing the seeds of division among Hutchison’s supporters about whether her decision not to resign might mean she has given up the governor’s race altogether.

As a sign the campaign has escalated into a war of words, Hutchison took immediate action making robocalls and going on air to assure her supporters she still is in the governor’s race. Her ad focuses on an issue that Republican primary voters are passionate about – government-run health care – and reminding voters that she’s in Washington fighting it. Hutchison says her decision to stay in the US Senate to fight Democrat-backed health care carries a “risk to my political future” but is necessary because she’s fighting for Texans.

Perry countered with his usual anti-federal stimulus, anti-Washington rhetoric. By attacking Washington, he is able to portray Hutchison as a Washington insider. Perry’s commercial casts him as a tax-cutting fiscal conservative in contrast to what his campaign called the “disastrous fiscal policies of Washington.”

The battle lines of the civil war are drawn. I would not be surprised if this election tear the party apart as Gov. Perry and Sen. Hutchison battle for the soul of the Republican Party.

Democrats’ hopes
Sen. Hutchison announcement created speculation that Houston Mayor Bill White might jump from the Senate special election campaign he has been running to get into the Democratic contest for governor. Spokeswoman Katy Bacon denied any switch will occur.

If Mayor White and Former Democratic Comptroller John Sharp are banking that Sen. Hutchison will resign after the primary, they can forget about it. Prior to her announcement she was not resigning, a Hutchison aide “brushed off the question of whether she would quit if she ends up losing the primary to Gov. Rick Perry” when asked by CNN.

As of this writing, there have been a surprising turn of events. The Houston Chronicle reported that Democratic candidate Tom Schieffer announced his withdrawal from the governor’s race to leave clear path for Mayor White to run for governor.

As a result of that Sunday afternoon meeting, Democratic candidate Tom Schieffer — who was a Bush administration ambassador to Australia and Japan — announced Monday that he will withdraw from the race for governor to clear the path for White. Schieffer urged other Democrats in the race to drop out and join him in support of White.

Shortly after Schieffer made his announcement, Mayor White held a City Hall news conference to say he will “agree to consider running for governor,” at the urging of Texans throughout the state. Mayor White said he will make an announcement by Dec. 4.

But there is further evidence Mayor White will run for governor. In a prepared statement, El Paso state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh openly endorsed Bill White for Governor on Monday.

“I am very excited today to endorse Bill White as the next Governor of the great state of Texas,” said Shapleigh, D-El Paso, in a prepared statement.

“Under his proven, responsible leadership, our great state can finally deal with the challenges of our times: better paying jobs, great schools, affordable college, water, real access to healthcare, 21st century infrastructure and sustainable energy.”

This is very significant because it ends speculation that he may run for Governor, According to the Rio Grande Guardian, there is now speculation that Shapleigh might run for Lieutenant Governor or Land Commissioner on a possible statewide Democratic ticket.

I have expressed my views on this matter openly and I do hope Mayor Bill White decides to run for Texas Governor. Not because Bill White was my Mayor when I lived in Houston or that the Democrats are sorely lacking star power. Its because I have witness the kind of leadership Texas sorely needs. I can personally testify his record as Mayor speaks volumes and he truly can be Texas’ Great White Hope.

I rarely make endorsements. If Bill White decided to run for Governor, I will have no problem posting my endorsement.

Related posts

• Will Kay Bailey Hutchison Resign: Not Likely (3)
• Has Rick Perry Become A Liability To The GOP? (3)
• Rick Perry Pulls A Rove (2)
• Profiting Off The Stimulus Package: Rick Perry’s Hypocrisy (2)
• Public betrayal: The Children Are the True Healthcare Victims (3)

Tags: Bill White, Democrats, governor, Kay Bailey Hutchison, primary elections, Republicans, Rick Perry, Texas |  Print This Post |
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